House Republicans Caucus in Gym for Leaner Govt

Young House Republicans are straining mightily to whip the body politic into shape — and not just the bloated federal budget. Led by Reps. Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy, they’re trimming their very own Capitol Hill flab by sweating with the P90X home video workout in the House gym, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Rep. Paul Ryan not only is one of the House's "Young Guns" but also is working on his own. Guns. (AP Photo)

Marketed on infomercials, P90X is an extreme-fitness regimen masterminded by charismatic trainer Tony Horton. The lawmakers gather at 6:30 a.m., cue the DVDs on two TV sets, and go through what the Journal describes as “a frenzied mix of jumping, push-ups, pull-ups, weight training and 300 punishing abdominal moves.”

This isn't the first time House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan and Majority Whip McCarthy have teamed up. They also co-wrote, along with Virginia Republican Rep. Eric Cantor, “Young Guns: A New Generation of Conservative Leaders.”

In addition to Ryan, who started doing the P90X routine two years ago, and McCarthy, the evolving group of 12 or so congressmen includes Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, Pennsylvania Rep. Bill Shuster, and Illinois Reps. Peter Roskam and Aaron Schock.

Bipartisanship is not lacking among this Republican majority: Former NFL quarterback Heath Shuler of North Carolina is the most frequent Democratic attendee, though he now prefers Insanity, another workout from P90X distributor Beachbody LLC.

"They're just trying to survive,” says Horton, who has led the legislators personally in several training sessions. “They hate each other, and now they're next to each other in down dog."

Young House Republicans are straining mightily to whip the body politic into shape and not just the bloated federal budget. Led by Reps. Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy, they re trimming their very own Capitol Hill flab by sweating with the P90X home video workout in the...